Stay
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: He was preparing to spend six months a billion miles away. She was packed and ready to go wherever the universe took her. So when she pulled away and whispered, "I have to go," all he wanted to do, all he longed to say... wrapped up in one simple word: Stay. Season 4 finale.


**Stay**

**R****if****iuto****: N****on**** Miriena**

**Summary: He was preparing to spend six months a billion miles away. She was packed and ready to go wherever the universe took her. So when she pulled away and whispered, "I have to go," all he wanted to do, all he longed to say... wrapped up in one simple word: Stay. Season 4 finale. **

Her lips were soft; her taste, as familiar to him as Einstein's _Theory of Relativity_. Her touch, sending a wildfire spreading through his veins; even the simple brush of her fingers against his cheeks that night when she'd backed out of the competition, that simple touch had started a fever that swept over his skin and through his body, igniting a heat that took days to break.

He pulled her small, pliable body against his, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her between his legs. She leaned into him, wrapping her own arms around his neck, fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He felt that familiar heat beginning to rise in his veins, and he soon flushed with a fever caused by the woman in his arms. He would have six months on Titan- six months for this fever to break and his skin to cool, for this cold to leave him, and hopefully, by the time they returned, she would be waiting for him, standing at the front, hair down around her shoulders and that beautiful, charming smile on her face.

They always did this- pushed and pulled, fighting and threatening, leaving, only to come back and crawl into each others' beds without so much as an 'I'm sorry' or 'I was wrong.' It was a vicious cycle; one that would kill them both eventually. And always, they never defined what they were- one moment, lovers, the next, friends. Enemies, allies, an endless list of labels and titles that did more damage than not.

_I could spend the rest of my life waking up to you, Jojo. Please... don't go._

He pulled her closer, feeling the lingerie he'd gotten her underneath her clothes, and inwardly, he smiled. She'd be thinking of him, even while she was trying to find herself. And the chain she'd dropped on the floor after throwing his grandmother's ring at him- he had grabbed it the last time they were in her office, and wore it around his neck, a constant reminder of the woman he was falling for. He'd be thinking of her as long as he wore that chain around his neck.

Be now, neither one had been living- they'd gone through the motions of living, but had never experienced it. But together-

They'd given each other life, and yet, they'd torn it out from under each other at the same time. She'd pull away, he'd pull her back; he'd stab her in the back, she'd push his buttons; she'd stick up for him, he'd return the favor and kick her ass while he was at it. They'd hurt each other so much, caused such deep, gaping wounds, that it would take months for the infections to clear up and the wounds to heal. And while they eventually healed, they also scarred. Red, puffy scars that hurt to the touch. How they'd managed to get to this point-

Where they were not only civil to one another, but struggling to define what they were to each other.

_I can't live without you, Zane. Don't go, please._

She gently pulled away, clearing her throat softly. A blush colored her cheeks, and she met his eyes. Raw. She'd never seen his eyes filled to the brim with such raw, broken emotion. A thousand things passed through those blue orbs, each one screaming out at her that he couldn't function without her by his side, yet he said none of them. She swallowed, her throat thick with the pain of unspoken words- words she'd longed to say for years, yet hadn't had the courage.

_Funny, I'm the one who needed saving, and you-_

They'd left holes in each other from all the damage done over the years. He saw it as he stared into her dark eyes. He'd damaged her, broken her heart, and yet, here she was, telling him goodbye, when the reason they hadn't spoken for weeks was because of his own stubborn, childish reaction when she dropped out. He held her now, swallowing against the tears that threatened to slide down his cheeks as they kissed goodbye.

She took a deep breath, averting her eyes. In a soft, strangled whisper, she choked out, "I have to go." Her heart was breaking, he could feel it. His had broken long ago.

_Of the two of us, I'm the broken one. You put me back together, and yet... and yet, I can't save you. Because I'm the one that put you in danger._

And suddenly, he realized that he didn't care. He didn't care how broken he was, he only cared about fixing her. He didn't care that he'd put himself in danger by discovering her secret, he only cared about keeping her safe. He didn't care if he died, just as long as she was still alive. He didn't care about himself; his heart, his soul, was hers, that was what he cared about.

"No." She reached up, brushing her knuckles over his cheek, igniting the fire once more with a small smile. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, leaning down to kiss her, yet she reluctantly pushed him away. _I want you to-_

"No, Zane, I... I have to go." She pulled away; he caught her hand, and their fingers threaded and then released as she turned and left, sending one last glance over her shoulder before she walked out the door. He watched until she was gone, when his eyes had clouded with tears and his heart had broken in two.

_Stay._


End file.
